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Mount Lyell is a
In 1972, five distinct peaks on Mt. Lyell (formerly referred to as only Lyell 1 through 5 or L1 through L5), were named after Swiss
mountain
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually highe ...
on the Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
–British Columbia
British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...
border in western Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
. Comprising five distinct summits, Mount Lyell reaches a height of . The mountain was named by James Hector
Sir James Hector (16 March 1834 – 6 November 1907) was a Scottish-New Zealand geologist, naturalist, and surgeon who accompanied the Palliser Expedition as a surgeon and geologist. He went on to have a lengthy career as a government employe ...
in 1858 in recognition of Scottish geologist Sir Charles Lyell.
__NOTOC__Geography
Mount Lyell is located on the Great Divide, which forms the BC-Alberta boundary in this area, in Banff National Park. Collectively, the five peaks, and the Mt. Lyell massif itself, are commonly referred to as 'the Lyells'. The mountain is the highest in the Lyell Group, a subrange of the Central Icefields in the Canadian Rockies.
In 1972, five distinct peaks on Mt. Lyell (formerly referred to as only Lyell 1 through 5 or L1 through L5), were named after Swiss mountain guide
A mountain guide is a specially trained and experienced professional mountaineer who is certified by local authorities or mountain guide associations. They are considered to be high-level experts in mountaineering, and are hired to instruct or ...
s who settled in Golden, British Columbia
Golden is a town in southeastern British Columbia, Canada, west of Calgary, Alberta, and east of Vancouver.
History
In 1807, David Thompsonrenowned fur trader, surveyor, and map-makerwas tasked by the North West Company to open a trading route ...
in 1912. Running south to north along the interprovincial boundary, these peaks are: Christian Peak (L5), Walter Peak (L4), and Ernest Peak (L3), named after Christian Hässler, Walter Feuz and Ernest Feuz. Located entirely in Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
are Edward Peak (L2) and Rudolph Peak (L1), named after Edward Feuz Jr. and Rudolph Aemmer.
Mount Lyell marks the limit between the South Saskatchewan and Columbia watersheds.
Geology
Mount Lyell is composed ofsedimentary rock
Sedimentary rocks are types of rock that are formed by the accumulation or deposition of mineral or organic particles at Earth's surface, followed by cementation. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause these particles ...
laid down during the Precambrian to Jurassic
The Jurassic ( ) is a geologic period and stratigraphic system that spanned from the end of the Triassic Period million years ago (Mya) to the beginning of the Cretaceous Period, approximately Mya. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of ...
periods. Formed in shallow seas, this sedimentary rock was pushed east and over the top of younger rock during the Laramide orogeny
The Laramide orogeny was a time period of mountain building in western North America, which started in the Late Cretaceous, 70 to 80 million years ago, and ended 35 to 55 million years ago. The exact duration and ages of beginning and end of the ...
. The Lyell Formation is named after Mount Lyell. Geology for all five subpeaks is identical due to their proximity to the central peak (maximum distance: ).
Climate
Based on theKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
, Mount Lyell is located in a subarctic climate with cold, snowy winters, and mild summers. Temperatures can drop below with wind chill factors below .
See also
* List of mountains of CanadaReferences
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyell Three-thousanders of Alberta Three-thousanders of British Columbia Canadian Rockies Mountains of Banff National Park Borders of British Columbia Borders of Alberta Great Divide of North America